This is a quick introduction to HDRI shooting on set for visual effects projects.If you want to go deeper on this topic please check my DT course here.

Equipment

This list below is a professional equipment for HDRI shooting. Good results can be achieved using amateur gear, don't necessary need to spend a lot of money for HDRI capturing, but the better equipment you own the easier, faster and better result you'll get. Obviously this gear is based on my taste.

Grey and chrome spheres, extremely important for lighting calibration.

Macbeth chart is necessary for white balance correction.

Before shooting

Try to carry only the indispensable equipment. Leave cables and other stuff in the van, don’t carry extra weight on set.

Set-up the camera, clean lenses, format memory cards, etc, before start shooting. Extra camera adjustments would be required at the moment of the shooting, but try to establish exposure, white balance and other settings before the action. Know you lighting conditions.

Have more than one CF memory card with you all the time ready to be used.

Have a small cleaning kit with you all the time.

Plan the shoot: Write a shooting diagram with your own checklist, with the strategies that you would need to cover the whole thing, knowing the lighting conditions, etc.

Try to plant your tripod where the action happens or where your 3D asset will be placed.

Try to reduce the cleaning area. Don’t put anything on your feet or around the tripod, you will have to hand paint it out later in Nuke.

When shooting backplates for look-dev use a wide lens, something around 24mm to 28mm and cover always more space, not only where the action occurs.

When shooting textures for scene reconstruction always use a Macbeth chart and at least 3 exposures.